struggle
verb (used without object)
to contend with an adversary or opposing force.
were struggling
-
past progressiveof struggle.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She said summers in Aix-en-Provence, where she used to live, had become so hot that her cats were struggling to breathe.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
She said the authority found the shift towards more fly-tipping "baffling" and said they were struggling to "figure out how to talk to people" about the issue.
From BBC ● Sep. 3, 2026
Back in Bidur, Hawadi said rescue teams were struggling with a lack of adequate equipment, including flotation devices needed to operate safely in floodwaters.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
“A common experience of late-diagnosed people is that they generally feel that they hadn’t received support for things that they were struggling with throughout their lives,” Kirby said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
But these men were struggling to keep their departments functioning and had little spare time to gather information or write reports, even for the leader of the country.
From "An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793" by Jim Murphy
